Israel strikes Gaza after rocket fired
pendent investigations that have exposed “serious human rights abuses” by North Korea, Iran, Syria, Daesh and Boko Haram.
The proportion of council resolutions and special sessions devoted to Israel has “significantly declined,” the organizations said. The US served two consecutive terms on the Human Rights Council from 2009-2015, took a mandatory year off, and was elected to a three-year term in October 2016.
In that election, Russia was defeated for a seat on the 47-member body. But its members include many countries with poor rights records including Burundi, Congo, Cuba, Venezuela, China and Saudi Arabia.
The organizations said that however “imperfect” the council is, “this is a critical time for the US to continue its participation and funding, while redoubling efforts to strengthen the council’s performance.”
“Disengagement from the council would leave a vacuum,” their letter said, “and states that do not share our nation’s interests and values would fill it, resulting in less condemnation of the world’s worst human rights abusers, more action directed against Israel, and more repressive governments gaining membership in the council.”
It stressed that “none of these outcomes serves America’s interests.”
In his March 8 letter of reply, Tillerson said: “We continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the UN Human Rights Council.”
“We may not share a common view on this, given the make-up of the membership,” he said. “While it may be the only such organization devoted to human rights, the Human Rights Council requires considerable reform in order for us to continue to participate.”
But Tillerson said the US will pursue its “priority objectives” in the current session — renewing the Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria and mandates for special investigators on Iran, North Korea, Myanmar, torture and freedom of expression.
It will also seek to renew the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan, ensure continued UN assistance to promote accountability in Sri Lanka for crimes during its civil war, promote freedom of belief and combat religious intolerance, and oppose the council’s “biased agenda” on Israel, he said.
The seven other organizations that sent the letter were the Better World Campaign, the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, Freedom House, Freedom Now, Human Rights First, the Human Rights Campaign and the UN Association of the United States of America. GAZA CITY: The Israeli air force carried out raids on Gaza early Thursday after a rocket was fired from the Palestinian enclave toward Israel, sources on both sides said.
Neither of the attacks caused casualties, the Israeli army and Palestinian sources confirmed.
The firing of projectiles toward southern Israel is rarely claimed but such assaults are often attributed to radical groups inside impoverished Gaza.
Israel often blames Hamas, which rules the Palestinian territory, and usually retaliates against its armed wing by attacking its bases.
Overnight Wednesday the Israeli army said “a projectile was fired toward the south of Israel.”
“In response to this attack, the air force targeted two terrorist Hamas positions in the northern Gaza Strip,” it said in a statement.
At least two bombs were dropped on a training base of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, in the central Gaza Strip, witnesses said.
Another strike was aimed at land in the east of the city of Gaza, according to sources within the Gazan security services.
No casualties were reported as a result of the raids, medical sources said.
Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since 2008.
Since the last round in 2014, a fragile cease-fire along the largely closed border has been observed.
In early February, the Daesh group claimed responsibility for firing rockets into southern Israel from the Sinai Peninsula near the border with Gaza, the first since 2015.